Mavic 4 Pro Specs, What do we think about photography with it?

[SkySteve83]

This all is seriously disappointing. Not only the typical deceiving marketing buzzwords, but to only increase the res by 5 mpxl in a relatively same size sensor is a low blow to devoted DJI drone photographers like myself. A 40 mpxl sensor should be offered as an option. Had they teamed up with (or got bought) by Fujifilm instead of Hassy, then there would be the XT-5 40 mpxl sensor in there now. Just bad news.

I agree. It seems they only care about video users. High quality photography seems much less important to them. Even the Inspire 3 with its better sensor, doesn’t offer all the features we need. Let’s hope the images in this M4 are better than the M3.

 

[Filmarik]

I agree. It seems they only care about video users. High quality photography seems much less important to them. Even the Inspire 3 with its better sensor, doesn’t offer all the features we need. Let’s hope the images in this M4 are better than the M3.

Inspire line-up has always been geared towards video. The AA filter in front of the sensor in the flagship X7 camera was way too strong and smeared fine details in photos. It was all about achieving the coveted "cinematic look". DJI never cared much about achieving sharp from corner to corner photos by their drones. But by saying that the M3 serie with the M43 sensor in the Hassy camera can produce pretty decent photos when its DNG files are carefully and skillfully processed. I do not expect any meaningful improvement in IQ from the M4P.

 

[Gazwas]

I agree. It seems they only care about video users. High quality photography seems much less important to them. Even the Inspire 3 with its better sensor, doesn’t offer all the features we need. Let’s hope the images in this M4 are better than the M3.

We are spoilt as photographers with high resolution sensors that can also shoot video but for a flying camera it's a trade off.

A camera doesn't have to provide power to four rotors and a sensitive gimbal while transmitting a low latency 1080, 60fps image over a long distance while simultaneously accepting control signals while continually monitoring its position using GPS and proximity sensors.

Stick an APS-C, 40 Mpix sensor in a drone the size of a Mavic and you would have to seriously upgrade the internal processor and seriously beef up the cooling system to cope with the massive amounts of data conversion (means heat) needed. Otherwise it would be a flying Canon R5 that would over heat after 10 mins if the battery even lasted that long.

 

[Johnmcl7]

I don't think they've have any problems fitting an APS-C sensor if they wanted to if they ditched the telephoto cameras since you just need to look at the small and cheap APS-C cameras (or even the QX1 module and that's without a more compact fixed lens) are compared to the micro 4/3 cameras, there's not much of a size difference nor any significant processor or cooling requirements. The R5 is a much larger FF sensor not APS-C.

I think the simpler answer as mentioned above is that DJI are more focused on the video side understandably and while it's not the best sensor, a 4/3 sensor is still a decent one for photography and much better than 1/2.3in or 1/1.3in sensors. Ultimately whatever the reason it doesn't have a larger sensor so that's that.

 

[Gazwas]

I don't think they've have any problems fitting an APS-C sensor if they wanted to if they ditched the telephoto cameras since you just need to look at the small and cheap APS-C cameras (or even the QX1 module and that's without a more compact fixed lens) are compared to the micro 4/3 cameras, there's not much of a size difference nor any significant processor or cooling requirements. The R5 is a much larger FF sensor not APS-C.

It's not the size of the sensor but the number of pixels for high resolution photography that is the problem.

DJI will never make a photo only drone so you are faced with the fact that its much easier and a lot less overhead if it's 1:1 readout of the sensor resolution rather than binning or over sampling the 18 MPix required for 6k out of a 45+ MPix sensor.

I do agree to a point on the tele cameras though. The long tele does feel like a gimmick especially with the tiny sensor they use. The ideal for me would be a two camera set up like on the Air 3 but using an APS-C for main and M43 for short tele.

 

[Johnmcl7]

It's not the size of the sensor but the number of pixels for high resolution photography that is the problem.

DJI will never make a photo only drone so you are faced with the fact that its much easier and a lot less overhead if it's 1:1 readout of the sensor resolution rather than binning or over sampling the 18 MPix required for 6k out of a 45+ MPix sensor.

I do agree to a point on the tele cameras though. The long tele does feel like a gimmick especially with the tiny sensor they use. The ideal for me would be a two camera set up like on the Air 3 but using an APS-C for main and M43 for short tele.

It's not the number of pixels that are the issue for photography, while more is better what's more important is the dynamic range and the high iso noise. An APS-C sensor with 24MP offers a similar pixel count to the existing 4/3 sensor but offers better DR and high iso:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV vs Sony A6300 vs Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II | DXOMARK

www.dxomark.com

Coming from a Mavic 2 Pro that would mean almost a full stop more DR which would be a welcome improvement, I don't find the 20MP anywhere near as limiting as the DR or high iso is.

Looking at the evolution of the Mavic 3 starting with the two cameras, offering a model with one camera and now currently only offering the Mavic 3 Pro with three cameras suggest that's what the bulk of the market wants.

 

[Gazwas]

It's not the number of pixels that are the issue for photography, while more is better what's more important is the dynamic range and the high iso noise. An APS-C sensor with 24MP offers a similar pixel count to the existing 4/3 sensor but offers better DR and high iso:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV vs Sony A6300 vs Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II | DXOMARK

www.dxomark.com

Coming from a Mavic 2 Pro that would mean almost a full stop more DR which would be a welcome improvement, I don't find the 20MP anywhere near as limiting as the DR or high iso is.

Looking at the evolution of the Mavic 3 starting with the two cameras, offering a model with one camera and now currently only offering the Mavic 3 Pro with three cameras suggest that's what the bulk of the market wants.

Photographers just want it all!

It's gained an extra stop of sensitivity as the main camera is now f2. Smaller sensors can have increased dynamic range. Just look at the super35 Canon C300 III and C70 with their DGO sensors which are equivalent to their newer gen full frame successor's.

If photographers want nothing more than increased DR, I'd wait to see what processing is on offer before righting the Mavic 4 off.

 

[Mrktn]

Photographers just want it all!

It's gained an extra stop of sensitivity as the main camera is now f2. Smaller sensors can have increased dynamic range. Just look at the super35 Canon C300 III and C70 with their DGO sensors which are equivalent to their newer gen full frame successor's.

If photographers want nothing more than increased DR, I'd wait to see what processing is on offer before righting the Mavic 4 off.

Aren’t they looking at 13 May for release date? In which case won’t be long before it’s teaser week

 

[Johnmcl7]

Photographers just want it all!

It's gained an extra stop of sensitivity as the main camera is now f2. Smaller sensors can have increased dynamic range. Just look at the super35 Canon C300 III and C70 with their DGO sensors which are equivalent to their newer gen full frame successor's.

If photographers want nothing more than increased DR, I'd wait to see what processing is on offer before righting the Mavic 4 off.

That's a good spot on the aperture which I'd missed although it's dynamic range I'm mostly interested in, while there are some variances dynamic range is almost entirely tied to sensor size so I doubt there's much they can do with the 4/3 sensor given the existing Sony one has good stats for the size as it is.

 

[Mrktn]

It's not the size of the sensor but the number of pixels for high resolution photography that is the problem.

DJI will never make a photo only drone so you are faced with the fact that its much easier and a lot less overhead if it's 1:1 readout of the sensor resolution rather than binning or over sampling the 18 MPix required for 6k out of a 45+ MPix sensor.

I do agree to a point on the tele cameras though. The long tele does feel like a gimmick especially with the tiny sensor they use. The ideal for me would be a two camera set up like on the Air 3 but using an APS-C for main and M43 for short tele.

Deviating from this a little, read somewhere that the fixed nd filters will not be ready. Do you reckon these will be sold separately when they’re ready and fitted by the user or will they already be assembled as shipped but not activated until a future FW update? They’ll be electronic nd filters, right?

 

[Gazwas]

We've seen picture of fixed (8, 16, 32, 64) ND filters so I think those are coming and will be an optional extra at some point.

If you mean the electronic variable ND that was rumoured not being ready, I'm not sure it even exists.

The trouble with leaked DJI info is that it always comes from China and so much gets mixed up in translation.

At this stage, to me the variable bit sounds most likely to mean the various lens filter density is different to give the same strength ND effect on all three lenses like the Freewell ones. There doesn't seem to be any electronic contacts on the filterless gimbal images we've seen and if it's an unreleased built in future feature why would you need optional clip on ones.

However, this might change tomorrow as we get closer to launch so its anyones guess.

 

[Mrktn]

We've seen picture of fixed (8, 16, 32, 64) ND filters so I think those are coming and will be an optional extra at some point.

If you mean the electronic variable ND that was rumoured not being ready, I'm not sure it even exists.

The trouble with leaked DJI info is that it always comes from China and so much gets mixed up in translation.

At this stage, to me the variable bit sounds most likely to mean the various lens filter density is different to give the same strength ND effect on all three lenses like the Freewell ones. There doesn't seem to be any electronic contacts on the filterless gimbal images we've seen and if it's an unreleased built in future feature why would you need optional clip on ones.

However, this might change tomorrow as we get closer to launch so its anyones guess.

God knows Gaz the picture seems to change every couple of days. Only way of knowing for sure is release date